Lotus Falafel & Shawerma

Great grilled chicken plate. Perfectly cooked & served w/​saffron rice, hummus, falafel & pita. Great meal at a sweet price.

OK, 3^rd time sort of had some charm, but I am still quite unimpressed with this place and I see a lot of room for improvement. I went back again, and they dealt with the aluminum flakes in the sandwiches by not cutting them in half anymore, but rolling them in foil mission burrito style. The seasoning on the meats is fine, but the quality of the ingredients being used still leaves much to be desired, namely the vegetables, tomatoes, and lettuce they use. I get it, because the profit margins are so slim in any restaurant, but if Stag’s Lunchette is any indicator, people will line up and pay $ 12 for a sandwich made with amazing ingredients.
The food reminds me of something I’d get at a cheap Middle Eastern Imbissstand auf Deutschland. The décor and state of the dining also leaves much to be desired. Sigh.
The owners seem nice and are committed to their restaurant. They even messaged me after my last review, which was thoughtful. That said, after four tries I think I’m done. I’ll keep on eye on it and perhaps try again in the future if I think things have changed for the better (I walk by this place like 4 days a week), but there are better options for lunch in Uptown, in my opinion.

This is my second time coming here for lunch while I am in Oakland for work. Both times I got the beef/​lamb shawerma (gyro) and it was excellent! Will definitely be one of my lunch stops when I travel here for business in future.

Growing up, I used to watch Mr. T.
Fuh the criminals, the T is fuh Tough!
Buh fuh the keeiz, the T is fuh Tenda!
«Tender» is also for every bite of lamb & beef in my lavash shawerma. Bland despite sauce but #idrc; short of sashimi or tartare, this was some of the softest meat I’ve ever had. #thatswhatshesaid

Let’s always start with a positive: service was great, staff was very nice and friendly, the place seemed clean, and it was priced well…
…unfortunately the chicken shawarma gyro I had was terrible. Wrapped in what looked like a Mexican tortilla, the inside of the wrap made me feel like I was eating something from Taco Bell.
Disappointed because I love Mediterranean food and was hoping this place would be a go to spot for me, but unfortunately I won’t be returning.

Some of the best falafel and hummus I’ve ever had. I loved the freshness and quality of the food. I really appreciated that the falafel were cooked to order. Amazing flavor and freshness in everything, including the tabboleh and the dolmas. My partner also totally enjoyed their shawarma plate. Service was good and the café was comfortable, well lit and clean.
Will be back again and again!

I have not tried everything on the menu yet, but the few that have tried are perfect. Falafel, shawarma and kabob. Clean place, good and fast food in the heart of Oakland is the place to try.

I received a note from Moe, who I assume is the owner or manager, regarding a staff expansion and faster service. I promised to return and observe the service.
I actually did so today. I had some extra time but also arrived after noon when it should be busy.
Indeed there are more people working in the kitchen. Great sign. The line was to the door.
I ordered my usual dish, received my number, and sat down at a table. The restaurant was about 90% full. Even before my group could get deep into conversation, in probably no more than 5 minutes, all of our food came out! It was as tasty as ever, and I enjoyed every bite!
Kudos to the owners/​management for listening to feedback and improving the service and experience!

This is one of the best falafel places I’ve been to. The food has always tasted fresh and good quality. Chicken kabob sandwiches is cooked up on an indoor grill, crispy, juicy, flavorful. I hope they continue to keep the same quality. I also hope they open for Saturday and Sunday lunch!

I heard about this place in Oakland called lotus falafel and shawerma, I went there with my wife to try it
I tried chicken shawerma plate that comes with hummus, salad, falafel and pita bread
And my wife tried the mix combo kabob that comes with rice hummus, salad, and bread
And honestly this was the best Mediterranean food we ever hard and best prices
We will be back again!

This place has the best hummus and moutabal (baba ghanoush) I have had since being in the Levant. Creamy, nutty hummus that tastes like the roasted chickpeas it’s made of. Smokey eggplant flavor for the moutabal.
Waseem and the rest of the family are great too. The chicken shawarma or kabob are great choices. My go to lunch spot.
The salad could use a little work, but everything else is fantastic, and they are wonderful.

Okay, it is about time I review this place I have been going since its inception (January of 2015 I believe).
1) FOOD:
Falafel Connoisseur:
I have tasted falafel virtually in every restaurant in the neighborhood (this includes Liba and Adam’s). In terms of authenticity and quality, this place literally has the BEST falafel in the neighborhood (no, seriously). Traditional Falafel is super delicate and not everyone can really «get» how to make it. I am not into fusion «mixture» falafel that god-​knows-​what-​else it has in them. I like them authentic, the ones that give you the feeling of the old country.
It takes certain craft and skills to be able to make delicious falafel with a consistency that is not too soft and not too burned and/​or greasy. This place gets an A+ on their falafel because they know how to make it just right. PLUS, they put generous amounts of herbs (parsley and/​or cilantro) in their falafel that other restaurants don’t (mostly either for taste reasons or costs, I’ve inquired about it).
Moutabal /​Baba Ganoush [hecka roasted eggplant dish]:
Seriously? I don’t know how they do it but this dish literally melts in my mouth. I could eat it for lunch and for dinner! The moutabal is so creamy. There has been more than one occasion that I’d literally lick my fingers for this dish. I appreciate how generous they are with the spices and ingredients to make sure the quality of their dishes are not compromised.
Others:
I have tried their kufta and shawerma. Really juicy and delicious. Their hot sauce and tahini sauce is pretty good as well.
2) FAMILY RUN BUSINESS!
Yup. The entire beautiful family (except for the awesome cashier) run the show. I love how dedicated they are to their craft and provide such quality Middle Eastern food. Salute and much prosperity to them! And I love the music they play in the restaurant. Pretty consistent with their authentic food.
3) WISH LIST
I wish they had Arabic coffee. Pretty please? :)
I also wish they had once a month Saturday night dinner with live Arabic music and delicious food.
4) RECOMMENDATIONS
If you can, go there before or after the lunch hour (usually 11:45 — 1:00pm). You would not have to stay in line much.
What sets this restaurant apart from others is their stubborn refusal to compromise traditional and authentic flavors over «saving» costs or aiming to please a population that prefers «watered» down middle eastern food over the real stuff. They got that quality juju all over their food. So ya, as you may notice, I find this place pretty darn amazing.

NOTE: The entrance isn’t actually at 1814 Franklin St. 1814 Franklin is a mini-​mall with five or six different businesses, and you have to walk all the way to the end of it to get to this falafel place. Although you can enter through the mini-​mall, the actual entrance is on 19^th Street. I think this confuses a lot of customers.
Dropped in for lunch on a Wednesday and it was easy to get a table, which is nice considering the many office buildings in the area. The falafel is delicious, I’m curious to know why it’s green inside! I love the hot sauce and tabouleh as well. The vegetarian plate is the best deal: you get to try all their veggie items, including hummus, baba ganoush, tabouleh, salad, and falafel. A very tasty, balanced meal. Also $ 1.49 for fountain drinks is a pretty good deal!
The place seems a bit shorthanded staff-​wise; there was only one cashier and one server working the entire floor. Fortunately, the water is self-​serve and you pay up front, so this doesn’t really cause delays.

I work across the street from this place, and ever since the first day I came back with the chicken kabob plate, at least one of my co-​workers has had it for lunch every day. Chicken is tender and juicy, rice is flavorful, salad is fresh. It’s so god damned delicious. With rice, salad, hummus and pita, it’s a good deal for like $ 10. Plus the shwarma (chicken or beef/​lamb) pitas and French fries are real good when they have them.
Also the lady there said my hair was pretty please support local businesses who give me compliments.

I am age 43 and I have just discovered the best Middle Eastern/​Mediterranean I have ever eaten in my life at Lotus in Oakland… the food is BOMB!
I went with a friend to Lotus a few days ago and it was an amazing experience. We had a wonderful time! We traveled from SF by Bart to get there and it was well worth it.
We were able to sample many items. It was all incredible… really really excellent.
Yes… we did have to wait a bit, but it was so worth the wait. Eating at Lotus was like being a guest in, Waseem, the manager’s home. He took his time to perfect things for us and the spread was just beautiful. The winning touch was when he brought Falafel out to us fresh in the fryer basket. I have never had Falafel so fresh! Just BOMB is all I can exclaim!
We had also had the chicken, Shawerma, salad, tabbouleh, pickles, hummus, and pita and it was all excellent. I really was amazed and had never experienced such a culinary feast.
Thanks goes to Waseem for his hospitality and hard work. Hard work pays off. Lotus is BOMB and I will continue to go back despite the commute to the other side of the Bay… so worthwhile! Rock on Lotus!

Best hummus I’ve ever had! I wouldn’t consider myself a big hummus fan. Hummus has never been my thing. I could eat this hummus all day, it’s that good!
We order for delivery to our office and I wish they were open on the weekend so I could take my hubby and my son. I’ve only ever had the chicken kebab plate, which I love, so I can’t comment on any of their other stuff, but even the chicken kebab plate comes with a falafel and hummus. What more could you want?

I just noticed this place this week. Before it was an Italian restaurant that I never tried. The food was good and the portion is large. The price is comparable to most of the places around downtown $ 8 – 10. This place takes credit card. When I came it wasn’t crowded. I had 3 orders ahead of mine to go order but it took 20 minutes for them to finish my order. That’s slow for 3 cooks; can’t imagine how long it’ll be if it’s more crowded. I wish they used paper to go box or at least plastic instead of foam. The heat melted a hole in the foam box. The cashier was nice enough let me try a small falafel with my house special chicken dish. Hopefully, management reads these constructive criticisms and improve.
Update 3÷26÷15: I gave my suggestion to the staff about the foam to go box in person today since I got lunch here again. The cashier said they do have plastic box that we can request so you can request that when ordering to go. The place is busier now since more people are trying this place out. I called for my to go order 15 minutes ahead of time. I suggest calling ahead for your to go order. I only spent 5 minutes in line to pick up my order instead of waiting 20 minutes.
Update 6÷1÷15 I changed my rating to 5stars because they made the to go container non foam, and they added extra relishes such as pickles to the meal. Food consistently good.

Tried this place today. Saw it many times passing by. They had a sign for $ 5.99 falafel sandwich. I got a gyro wrap with falafels inside. It was tasty, the meat was a tad salty and I didn’t really like the spicy sauce. The falafels were tasty though and I would consider visiting again for a falafel pita. The lavash bread fell apart. Still love Oasis in SF but this isn’t bad for the price.

The reason I’m not giving a full 5 stars is because the wait is quite insane and the salads are rather bland.
Pros: Large portions. Their dolma is amazing (I crave it. I could just eat those as a meal). Their falafels are tasty. The food is very fresh. Service is really nice.
Cons: Pricey. Long wait time. Falafel and Kubbeh is a bit greasy.
I think the food is good, but with Liba Falafel just a block away, I’d step my taste game up a bit. Good food, none the less.

Lotus had free falafel sample for passerbyers. tasted crunchy and slighty greasy
menu: usual shawerma, falafel, huumus, …
eats: chicken schawerma in a pita pocket (7.99)
–recommended as more tasty than a wrap
–interesting taste, chicken warm not hot
–red onions, pickles, other items in mix
–taste good, not great
–noticed 2 meats on «spits», good sign.
3,5 stars. sadly not wowed enought to up to 4 stars.

Man, it hurts to write a less than stellar review of a brand new place in my work neighborhood. But I can’t in good faith do any better than two stars. First off, the food is served on a crazy amount of plastic. (And this is for dining in.) A plastic tray with a lid; pickles in a separate plastic container with a lid; appetizer in ANOTHER plastic container with a lid; plastic utensils. Is it that hard to hire a dishwasher? Yuk. My heart sank when I saw all the junk that was being generated from my meal.
Second, really tough star-​removing point: the dolmas are not edible. I actually spat out the one bite I took. Appallingly dry. If these were made today… well, they just weren’t made today, is all. Same goes for the pita. Hard and dry.
The beef/​lamb shawerma was tasty and the hummus was okay but that was not enough to salvage the meal. MAYBE I’ll come back and see if things have improved, but I’m afraid that one awful bite of stale dolmas will keep me walking the extra block to Liba for my Mediterranean fix.